Refrigerating apparatus



4 31, 1939. U ER I 2,178,511

REFRIGERATING APPARATUS Filed Nov. 23, 1936 u BY INVENTO2ZA ATTORNEY Fatented @ch 311,, 3%9

. uwir raves arisen IREFREGERATWG APPARATUS Andrew A. Kucher, Dayton, @hio v Application November 28, 1936, Serial No. 1123M One or" the objects of the present invention is to imposed barriers to free circulation of air within the food storage compartment.

It is another object to cause air to flow in ngzag fashion in the storage compartment.

Another object of the invention is to increase the reflecting surface within the storage cornpartment.

A further object is to utilize imperforate shelves as the barriers and to arrange the shelves so that the air flows in a zigzag path, the shelves being inaperforate providing relative large refleeting surfaces.

lhirther objects are to provide a slidable slip having a portion adapted to extend around an I edge of the shelf and also above the shelf and having another portion adapted to extend around the lug on the lining which supports the shell; to provide a three point suspension for the shelf and in which one of the supports prevents tilting of the shelf and the other two prevent respectively, forward and sidewise movement of the shelf.

Further objects and advantages will be apparent from. the following description, reference being had to the accompanying drawing wherein a preferred form of embodiment of the present invention is clearly shown.

Referring to the drawing:

Fig. i is a perspective view of my improved reirlgerator showing the food compartment door open;

Fig. 2 is a front view of the refrigerator also showing the door open;

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view taken on line 8-8 of Fig. 2;

fig. d is a View showing in section a portion of the lining and one of the supports for a shelf;

Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken on line 5-5 01 Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is a top view showing in section a rear corner of the lining and the support for the shelf;

Fig. 7 is a sectional view takenon line 1-7 of Fig. 6; and

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary sectional view of a support for a pan.

A refrigerator cabinet 28 is shown having an inner lining 29 forming a compartment 22. The open front compartmentfifi is closed by a door 23 surrounded by gaskets 3%. A heat absorber in the form of an evaporator 26 is disposed in the upper part of the compartment 22. orator 25 supports a plurality of ice trays 25. A pan 26 is carried below the evaporator 25 in which foods to be frozen may be stored. A plurality of shelves 2?], 28 and 2e are carried by the lining 2!.

These shelves are disposed one above the other and in staggered relation. The space below the pan 2% is cooled mainly by convection and due to the staggered arrangement of the shelves, the air follows a zigzag course.

Referring more to the details of the embodiment of the invention, the outer sheet metal shell 39 is provided at the front with inwardly turned flanges 32 and rearwardly turned flanges 33. The lining 2i is provided at the front with outwardly turned flanges 35 and forwardly turned flanges The fiangestt of shell 3i and flanges 35 of lining M are aligned and four frame members 33 (the vertical member at opposite sides not being shown) surround these flanges 3L and 36. Four breaker strips -39 are disposed onthe opposite side of these flanges and are secured to the frame members 38, as by screws (not shown), and thereby clamp the flanges t3 and so, the frame members 38 and the breaker strips Si? in position. The cabinet is more fully disclosed in my 00- The evappending application Serial No. 102,368 filed September 24, 1936.

The evaporator 26 comprises a shelf ti and a coil of pipe 62 hermetically secured to the bottom thereof. The evaporator is carried by the top of their lining 2i by hangers i l and screws 55 and fit. The evaporator extends substantially across and substantially from the front to the rear of the compartment 22 and the shelf ti thereof supports four ice trays 25.

The pan 26 is provided withlips d8 which are carried by runs 69 on opposite sides of the cabinet. The runs it are rods formed of wire and the ends of each are threaded into buttons 58 and 52. Buttons 51, at the rear of the lining, abut the rear wall of the lining and the threaded endsof rods 8d extend through holes in the lining. Nuts 53 are threaded on the rods and thereby clamp the buttons Eli and the rear ends of the rods in place. The front ends of rods 46 are bent at right angles and the threaded ends of these rods extend through holes in the side walls of the linings. Nuts 55 are threaded on the rods and thereby clamp the buttons 52 and the front ends of the rods in place. The pan 26 spans the right edges evaporator 28 so as to catch all drip therefrom. The pan 28, however is spaced from the walls of the lining and the door 28 to permit the circulation of air thereabout; The pan 28, being disposed directly below the evaporator, can be used as a frozen food container and as an absorber for heat from the air thereabout.

The shelves 21, 28 and 28 are each supported at three points; namely, at three corners. The rear edge of each rear of the lining and an edge of shelf 21, and an edge of shelf 28, is disposed adjacent the right side of the lining and an edge of shelf 28 is disposed adiacent the left side of the lining. The of the lining 2| is provided with left rear corner of lining 2! is provided with a shelf support for shelf 28. These shelf supports each include a triangularly shaped ledge 88 which is secured to the opposite side of the corner of the lining by screws 81. The corner of the shelf can rest on this ledge. A triangular clip 88 is disposed above the shelf corner and issecured to the ledge 88 by a screw 89, there being a spacing bushing 8| interposed between the ledge clip 88, the length of which bushing being substantially equal to the thickness 'of the beaded edge of the shelf. The shelf is rounded at this corner in order to accommodate the bushing 8i.

The support for the front edge of each shelf includes a lug 82 secured to the lining 2| by a screw 88. The edge of the shelf rests thereon and the front edge of the shelf is substantially flush with the front edge of the lug. The lug is non-circular in cross section and preferably rectangular and a clip 84 cooperates with the lug and shelf shelf. Similar supports are provided at the rear positioned at rear corner support. at the rear prevent sidewise movement of the shelves while the clips in the front prevent forward movement of the shelves.

In assembling, one corner of the shelf is inserted between the ledge 88 and clip 88, the other rear corner resting on a rear lug 82 and the front corner resting on a front lug 82. The clip 88 and ledge 88 will prevent the shelf from tilting The clips 8| are then placed in tion, 1. e., the top portion 88 is placed over the bead of the shelf and then the clip is slid toward the lug 82 and by so doing the hook porthe lug as shown. The clips 88 not only prevent forward or sidewise movement of the shelves but also prevent accidental lifting of the shelves.

One of the main features of my invention is the manner in which the air is circulated in the food storage compartment. It will be noted that the left edges of shelves 21 and 29 stop short of the left side of the compartment lining and the of the intermediate shelf 28 stop short of the right side of the compartment lining. Since the shelves are imperforate, they form barriers to free circulation of air and the air is caused to flow horizontally between the shelves. Due toconvection, air, which is cooled in the upper part of the compartment by the evaporator 28 and the adjacent elements including the pan 28, will flow downwardly and the warm air shelf is disposed adjacent the r 88 and and, of the arrahlement of the shelves, both upward and downward currents will flow in zigzag paths. These paths, it will be noted, are predominantly horizontal. Eddies will be established throughout the paths of the air with the result-of the tendency to cool the entire shelf storage space to the same temperature. The lining metal will absorb heat from the compartment and upper part where it is absorbed by the evaporator. likewise, due to the large shelf area heat will be reflected from the food to the shelves and from the shelves to the colder lining and the upper colder part of the compartment. Obviously, there will be an increment of temperature downwardly in the'compartment .but this increment will be minimized due to the aforementioned eddies, conduetion through the lining and reflection of heat. In this manner desirable temperatures are maintained in the cablcirculation. This is advantageous in that foods will not be dehydrated quickly, particularly in the space below the lowest shelf 28, and in this manner, the so-called hydrator can be eliminated for in fact the entire lower portion of the compartment funcwiil flow upwardly interior of the cut sections of the compartment at different temperatures. Some foods, such as vegetables can be maintained at a relatively warmer temperature and when stored in the lowest part of the compartment, they are maintained at such desirable temperature with the added advantages that the relative humidity is high enough to prevent dehydration while the circulation of air is sufficient to prevent the growth of mold.

Another advantage of the shelf arrangement lies in the close vertical arrangement of the shelves whereby a large shelf area is available yet tall articles such as milk and beverage bottles can be stood upright. The tall articles can be placed, as shown, on that end of a shelf which is not covered by the next upper shelf.

- If desirable, the front edges of the shelves 21, 28 and 28 can stop short of the door 23, as shown, to permit a freer circulation of air. In the preferred embodiment, transparent shelves such as glass shelves are used so that they in themselves are not obstructiveto vision.

From the foregoing it will be seen that I have provided a refrigerator cabinet in which several regions of desirably distinct temperatures are maintained. Due to the impeding of the flow of air, the evaporator can be decreasedto a relatively low temperature whereby water, within the ice trays 28, can be frozen quickly and yet the food storage compartment will not be decreased to an undesirable temperature. Also the region directly below the evaporator, namely that containing thepan 28, will be maintained at below freezing temperature for storing frozen foods. And, as previously pointed out, by the present construction, desirable relatively high humidity conditions are maintained in the food storage compartment. 8

While the form of embodiment of the present invention as herein disclosed constitutes a preferred form, it is to be understood that other forms might be adopted, all coming within the scope of the claims which follow:

I claim:

1. The method of producing refrigeration within a refrigerator cabinet while maintaining a will conduct the same to the 2i being made of sheet high humidity within the food storage section of the cabinet which method consists in estab ing a sharp-freezing temperature in a zone at the upper portion of said cabinet and thereby caus- 5 ing the air which is cooled by said zone to travel, I and retarding the movement of the air in the food storage section by causing the air to flow in a zigzag course in said section.

2. The method of producing refrigeration withm in a refrigerator cabinet while maintaining a high humidity within thefood storage sectionof the cabinet which method consists in establishing a sharp freezing temperature in a zone at the upper portion of said cabinet and thereby causing the 15 air which is cooled by said zone to travel and retarding the movement of the air in the food storage section by causing the air to flow in a predominatingly horizontal zigzag course in said section. a 20 3. The method of producing refrigeration within a refrigerator cabinet while maintaining a high humidity within the food storage section of the cabinet, which method consists in establishing a sharp freezing temperature in a zone at the 25 upper portion of said cabinet and thereby causing the air which is cooled by said zone to travel, and retarding the movement of the air in the food storage section by directing it through a zigzag course in said section established by the arrange- 39 ment of shelves in the section and causing the warmed air rising in said section to follow a zigzag course across said shelves.

4. The method of producing refrigeration within a refrigerator cabinet while maintaining a high humidity within the food storage section of the 5 cabinet, which method consists in establishing a sharp freezing temperature in a zone at the upper portion of said cabinet and thereby causing the air which is cooled by said zone to travel, and retarding the movement of the air in the food storage section by directing it, through a predominatingly horizontal zigzag course in said section established by the arrangement of shelves in the section and causing the warmed air rising in said section to follow a predominately horizontal zigzag course through said section across said shelves.

5. The method of refrigeration which consists in establishing a zone of low temperature and relatively low humidity in communication with a zone of relatively high temperature and high humidity through a restricted passage and causing the cooling produced in the first mentioned zone to promote a slow circulation of air from the second mentioned zone to the first mentioned zone through said passage and a return of the air from the first mentioned zone to the second mentioned zone through said passage.

ANDREW A. KUCHER. 

